Philipsburg:--- The Minister of Education, Culture, and Sports Dr. Rhoda Arrindell has single handily decided to grant her current Acting Secretary General of Education Claudette Foresight Labega a one year contract to remain in the position as of this month.Foresight Labega was supposed to leave her office during the month of November 2011 as she just reached her pensionable age. Sources within the government apparatus said that the Minister's decision has created some fireworks within her Ministry and her political party. SMN News learned that at least one person within the Ministry who has a Masters Degree in Education and Administrative Management applied for the position but was not considered by the Minister. According to sources within the United Peoples Party, the leader of the UPP Theodore Heyliger advised Minister Arrindell not to appoint Foresight Labega to the position since she was a candidate on the Democratic Party slate. The source said the Minister told her party leader that she does not want Foresight Labega to go home with all her years of experience and knowledge. Questions are now being raised by the UPP and personnel affairs as to when the Minister would hire a replacement for Foresight Labega to train.
The source further explained that Foresight Labega has not been working in the best interest of the Education Minister and there has been no progress with Education since the Minister took office. One of the persons blamed for the lack of progress is Foresight Labega, while one of top civil servants in the Education Ministry is contemplating resigning.
SMN News further learned that the department of Personnel Affairs is also questioning the appointment since basic procedures to appoint the Secretary General was not applied in the Foresight Labega case. The source said Personnel Affairs advised the Minister to refer the committee that was vetting the applications for the persons who applied for the positions of Secretary General during the National Alliance/ Heyliger government. The source said the committee members at the time comprised of the Lt. Governor, the Commissioner of Education, Commissioner of Personnel Affairs and the Secretariat handled the applications and delivered an advice on who they believed was qualified for the position.
At the Council of Ministers press briefing on Wednesday, Minister Arrindell admitted that she granted Foresight Labega a one year contract for the position of Acting Secretary General. Minister Arrindell said that she personally evaluated the candidate in question and felt that she met the requirements. When asked by SMN News if she set aside the application process and advice that was delivered prior to her taking office, the Minister said she was not aware of any such procedure and she also does not know if anyone applied for the position before she took office. Minister Arrindell said several persons applied for the position since she took office. Minister Arrindell also explained that the Council of Ministers decided to take a formal position on appointing the Secretary Generals. She said at some point a decision will be taken on whether or not the Secretary Generals will become a "political appointment". However, that discussion is not yet concluded neither has any decision been taken. Minister Arrindell said she was advised by Personnel Affairs to evaluate the candidates and make an appointment in the interim since there was only a window of six months to appoint someone to the position. "I personally evaluated Ms. Foresight Labega and the results were positive," the Minister said.
